Kanimozhi wins RS polls with Cong support

New Delhi, June 27: DMK candidate MK Kanimozhi has won second term in Rajya Sabha as her father and DMK chief M Karunandhi managed the votes today with the support of Congress.

As expected, CPI's D Raja, who was supported by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's AIADMK and four AIADMK members won RS polls in Tamil Nadu. Lone candidate of Opposition DMDK's AR Elangovan lost after a rebellion by seven legislators of his party. He got only 22 votes.

Raja, AIADMK's Maithreyan and Kanimozhi were elected for second term to the Upper House. Other AIADMK members elected today are T Rathnavelu, R Lakshmanan and K R Arjunan.

While the four AIADMK candidates and Raja got elected on the basis of first preference votes, Kanimozhi won on the basis of counting done by elimination method.

The ruling AIADMK front, comprising CPI, CPM, All India Forward Bloc, All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi, Kongu Ilaignar Peravai, Republican Party of India, has 170 MLAs in 235-member House and managed to win five seats (4 for AIADMK and one for CPI).

The DMK has 23 legislators and needed the support of the Congress and other smaller parties. 45-year-old Kanimozhi sailed through with 31 votes after five Congress' MLAs voted in her favour along with two votes each from two smaller parties--Puthiya Thamizhagam and Manithaneya Munnetrak Katchi.

Raja won with 34 votes, Maitreyan, Ratnavel and Arjunan got 36 each and Lakshmanan won with 35 votes.

The poll saw 231 members of the 235-member assembly voting (one nominated member has no vote). The PMK, having three legislators, boycotted the elections. One vote was declared as invalid.

OneIndia News